Top Pros On Upstate Frolfer – Scott Rief

As promised we’re introducing what I hope will be a very popular, and long running, feature on Upstate Frolfer.

As in any sport, there are people who frolf, people who do it well, and then there are the few special players who rise to the very top.

We’re interested in those players who have taken a casual obsession and made greatness a personal goal.  There are a good many in our region and we’ll be profiling them here.

But to kick off the “Top Pros” feature I wanted to talk to a very good old friend of mine from back in my college days.

SCOTT RIEF and I became friends through a shared love of great music.  He was a groomsman in my wedding and, although we don’t talk as much anymore, I still consider him a good friend.

It’s pure coincidence that we both took up the flying disc.  We both got involved in the game after I moved away.  I became a pretty mediocre amateur, Scott quicky rose to among the game’s best.

Just this month, Scott finished 4th out of 30 open division pros in Louisville’s Charlie Vettiner Open.  Top pro Dave Feldberg took top honors and $1,200 in cash.  Scott won $450.

He’s won $1665 in tournaments this year, including an 8th place finish at the Hall of Fame Classic.

UPSTATE FROLFER : When did you take up the game and how did you hear about it?

SCOTT RIEF :   I took up disc golf in college (University of Kentucky).   I played very casually a couple times a month, there was a course close to our house, Shilito Park.  I didn’t play at all from 2000-2004.  It wasn’t until I moved to Louisville and met some competitive players that I began competing in tournaments.

UF :   What was your first disc?

RIEF :   My first discs were a pirana putter, and a viper.  I used them until they were useless.  I didn’t understand why they became so different over time, they really fly differently after a lot of use, which can be a good thing sometimes.

UF :   Do you have one disc in your bag that you feel like you just couldn’t do without?

RIEF :  Besides a putter, a disc I couldn’t do without- the Roc.  It has a wide variety of uses and is thrown more than any other disc.

UF :  When did you realize that you were getting pretty good?

RIEF :  I realize I was pretty good when I entered my first PDGA event.  I entered as an Advanced player and won first place by 3 strokes.  It was a 28 man advanced event,  B-tier.

UF :  Tell us about the first time you signed up for a tournament.  A lot of players are surprised by just how competitive the game can be.

RIEF :  My first singles tournament was in the fall of 2005.  I remember watching everyone practice putting and thinking, “man these guys don’t miss!”  I expected the competitiveness, and hoped for it.  I had been competing in table tennis tournaments before I started disc golf and was hoping the competitiveness was similar.  It was.

UF  :   You’ve had some very strong finishes this year.  Do you feel like you’re competitive among the very best in the sport?

RIEF :  Do I feel like I’m competitive with the very best in the sport?  Almost.  That is my goal.  If I play my best I can hang with anybody in the world, but consistency is still an issue.  I still have a few too many mistakes to consistently be at the top of the biggest tournaments.

UF :  What’s next for you?  You’re coming to Rock Hill in October right?

REIF :  Up next for me is a trip to California later this month.  I’ll be playing in La Mesa, near San Diego, in the Sun Valley Open.  It’s on a ball golf course and has a lot of OB.  It should be very competitive, so far there are 5 players signed up with ratings over 1020.  I will be making the trip to Rock Hill for the USDGC in early October.   I have big goals for this one.  I want to finish top 20, which seems lofty but I believe I can do it.  Most of the best players  in the world will be there, trying for part of the $90,000 purse.

UF :  What advice would you give to someone who has played for some time but is having trouble taking that next step..from decent recreational player to OPEN pro?

RIEF :  My advice for someone who wants to make the jump to the Open division : Find the best player in your area and play as much as possible with them.  Put time into “field work” instead of only playing rounds, and get to know your discs.  Practice putting using the proper technique and play as much as possible.

Please join UPSTATE FROLFER in wishing Scott well in California and in Rock Hill.

Stay tuned here for more interviews with the best players in the game.